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Media relations is hard and getting harder.
That’s according to 223 PR professionals polled for the 2019 JOTW Communications Survey.
A majority of respondents said media relations is getting “harder” (53%) or “much harder” (15%). That number was up sharply—17%—from the same survey the previous year.
What’s driving the change?
We solicited commentary around this question from PR professionals that took the survey to find out. Some of the written responses are what you might expect—comments like these:
“There are fewer reporters and getting their attention is harder.” “Journalists, like everyone else, are increasingly seeing their time splintered, their resources [getting] cut and responsibilities increase.” “Journalists are bombarded with email pitches, many which stink, and there seems to be less opportunity to build an actual relationship with journalists.”
Yet some of the other answers might surprise you:
“Journalists are increasingly strident toward, instead of partnering with, PR professionals. It’s virtually impossible to have an actual conversation with a writer. “Journalists are no longer objective, they are much more subjective and if you do not fall within their lane or their bias, they are not interested, and you are left by the wayside. The days of objectivity are gone and the days of combative, aggressive, argumentative ‘in your face’ journalism has taken its place.” “It’s harder to know who is [the] media and who isn’t. And there used to be rules of engagement—behavior, fairness. Now, it’s say whatever you want about whomever you want.”
Strident? Combative? Say whatever you